MASSE CONGRATULATES THE SAUGEEN OJIBWAY NATION FOR VOTING AGAINST PROPOSED DEEP GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY NEAR KINCARDINE, ONTARIO: A Victory for the Great Lakes

February 1st, 2020 - 4:44pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FEBRUARY 1, 2020

MASSE CONGRATULATES THE SAUGEEN OJIBWAY NATION FOR VOTING AGAINST PROPOSED DEEP GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY NEAR KINCARDINE, ONTARIO: A Victory for the Great Lakes

WINDSOR, ON – NDP Great Lakes Critic Brian Masse applauded the Saugeen Ojibway Nation for voting against Ontario Power Generation’s proposed deep geologic repository (DGR) on their traditional territory and less than a kilometer from Lake Huron and the Great Lakes.

“This is a victory for the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON), the people of Ontario, and our international counterparts who share Lake Huron and the Great Lakes with us. Any proposals to bury and store nuclear waste beside our drinking water, the drinking water for 40 million Canadians and Americans alike, is completely nonsensical. We need to move this radioactive waste away from these vital waters and find alternative options,” stated Masse.

Masse has been opposed to this proposal since 2013 and has actively worked to educate Canadians about the devastating effects that this might have on our environment and water should a leak take place. Nuclear waste remains radioactive for up to 100,000 years and there has not been one successful DGR in the world that has not faced complications or leaks.

There is growing public and legislative opposition, namely in both the Michigan State Legislature and US Congress, opposing any Canadian storage of radioactive waste besides the Great Lakes. Over 232 resolutions were passed in opposition to this plan as of 2018, and this past December 2019, a bipartisan group of U.S. House Members wrote Prime Minister Trudeau asking him to stop this project and any future storage of nuclear waste on or near the Great Lakes.

“Today the Saugeen Ojibway Nation showed Canadians that these waters, and their traditional lands, are more important than 150 million dollars. They set an example for future generations that the earth, our environment, and public safety is critical. Thank you, SON for standing up, speaking out, and being a leader and voice on the Great Lakes,” said Masse. “Will Prime Minister Trudeau respect this decision, and the calls of millions of residents and legislators on both sides of the Canada-US border, and permanently commit to storing nuclear waste away from the Great Lakes?” asked Masse.